This last week has been the last week of my entire life so far. It started on monday at about 3:45 when I called my mom's work to ask her how long and what temperature I needed to cook a pot-roast at. Well the owner answered the phone and said, casually, oh she's not here she's up at the hospital. Well I though to my self, I woner who is there that she is visiting, then all of a sudden a horrible feeling came over me and then her boss started to explain that my mom fell off a ladder (where she was changing lightbulbs from) outside on the sidewalk and that the ambulance had taken her there. I gathered my composure and asked if my mom was ok. All her boss said is I'm not sure and I'm sorry to be the one to break the news to you. Well I hung up and called my dad, at this point I wasn't even sure if he knew. When I talked to him he said that she was in the ER and they weren't sure exactly what was wrong with her yet except a broken wrist so far. I was really quite histarical at this point and I was driving twoard the hospital and my dad said to be careful and Kamron was crying so hard because I was crying so hard.
When I got to the ER I almost walked past my mom's room becuase I didn't even recognize her. It was horrible!!! There was sooooo much blood and she was so bruised and there was just chaos. I had to gather myself together before I could even go and look at her. She was barely conscious. I just held her hand and told her I loved her. The nurses soon came and got her and took her to get x-rays and a CAT scan. When she came back the doctor came to talk to my father and me and told use her wrist was shattered and that she had some hemorrhaging on her brain and she would need to be life flighted to EIRMC (eastern Idaho regional medical center) in Idaho Falls. I can't even describe how scared I was. I just kept thinking how much I need my mom. How much I love her, and how nothing could happen to her. My Dad and me quickly decided to go to our houses and pack our bags and to meet at his house. Garrett and I decided that I would take Kamron so I wouldn't feel like I needed to be in two places at once and becuase we really didn' t know what else to do. I called my sister to let her know what was going on ( I called her on the way to the hospital crying because Garrett couldn't understand me when I called him and I needed someone to talk to), she had calmed me down saying it was probably just a broken bone. I asked her to call the boys and fill them in.
When we got to IF and the Nuerologist who was on call got to the hospital he looked at the CAT scan and said that it looked ok for now but they would do another in the morning and if it had gotten worse they would have to opperate to relieve the pressure. The arm was on hold untill they okayed her head. the next morning the CAT scan came back with the same amount of hemorrhaging as the night before. Finally, the first bit of good news. My mom was in so much pain in her wrist and head it was soo sad. she just kept asking us to make it go away! They scheduled her surgery for 6:00 that night. Finally a little after 8:00pm they took her in. SHe had broken it in 5 big pieces and about 8 total that where worth mentioning. She had a plate and 5 screws and the rest where just set in place he also repaired some tendion damage as well.
She was in the hospital on a morphine drip untill Thursday when they decided to send her to a rehab department within the hospital. THey have been making sure that when she goes home she can climb stairs and walk around without loosing her balance. they also where giving her cognitive tests to make sure her brain is ok. There is some damage to the brain that they are having a speech therapist work with her on. Her headaches are pretty much constant and can be for up to 2 months while the blood is re-absorbed into her brain. Her wrist is also in a lot of pain and is still very swollen, well at least the fingers (the soft cast is covering the arm).
Besides dealing with this in a normal fashion we have had to deal with a hospital that is aweful. They never keep any of us informed (including my mom). When they do tell us something we get like three different stories. It seems like she would be doing better to heal at home and they are just milking it. It has been very frustrating for my family. I hope I never have to deal with the hospital after this is all over with.
My mom is such a trooper. She is sooooooooooooooooooo very lucky. We were givin a book about patients with traumatic brain inguries and she doesn't have alot of the problems and shouldn't that alot of them have. It is such a miracle. Before she left portneuf she was given a blessing by her dad and Garrett and I know that the lord works in wonderous ways and that the power of the preisthood is a very strong tool he has given us here on earth. I can't thank my heavenly father enough for alowing my mom to be ok and to have only minor problems in the end. I am so blessed. My mom is still in the rehab center cooping with the large amount of pain and we hope very much to have her home this week. This experience has been and eye-opener for me. I love my mom so much, she is truely my best friend. I think that she is a very strong individual who deserves the best that life has to offer her and much much more. I know that she is a blessing and a miracle.I LOVE YOU MOM!!!
What Happened: Since my mom wasn't sure what happened I called Shane, my mom's emplyee's husband who saw it happen. My mom was outside on the ladder and it looked like she was a little wobley and looked like she realized she was up to high. She went to reach for the ladder to take a step down but never made it. Her head hit the cement with her arm under her. Her legs stayed in the ladder and where pulled out.She blacked out for a couple of minutes and had to have her head lifted out of her blood so she could breathe. She came to and tried to sit up and basically passed back out and went into shock. The ambulance responded very quickly and where there in about 6 minutes.
The results: A broken wrist, tendon damage, a little road rash, some stitches on her forehead, a big black eye, the whole left side of her body bruised, and TBI (traumatic brain injury), a couple months of enduring pain, a little uncertianty of the whole effects of the TBI, and a lot of answered prayers and a very big blessing!!
